Episode Guide - Canada Vignettes
(Short) (1977-?)

Acadian Quadrille - 1978 - A short history of one of the traditional dances of Acadia - the quadrille.

Agnes Campbell MacPhail - 1980 - A two-minute vignette on Canada's first woman Member of Parliament.

Alouette - 1979 - A story about two symbolic characters who sway to the song Alouette.

Alouette - 1979 - A story about two symbolic characters who sway to the song Alouette.

Angel of Death - 1980 - A vignette about a 1912 fly-swatting contest organized by The Toronto Daily Star to draw attention to the danger posed to public health by flies. Through archival photographs and newspaper headlines the highlights of the contest are reviewed in a light, humorous manner. The winner, a determined young lady named Beatrice White, killed over 500 000 flies during the six-week contest and was dubbed the ""Angel of Death"" by the paper.

Arctic Mission - 1980 - A vignette with Dr. Joe MacInnis and his diving team assembling a ""Bubble"" in the Arctic Ocean.

Bill Miner - 1978 - Bill Miner was a train robber in British Columbia at the turn of the century. This animated film depicts a disastrous episode in his career.

Bill Reid - 1979 - A profile of Haida artist Bill Reid and his work.

Birth - 1980 - A one-minute vignette from the film Great Grand Mother on the experiences of giving birth in the early pioneer days on the Prairies.

Bluenose 1921-1946 - 1979 - A short history of the Bluenose schooners.

Bluenose II July 24 1963 - 1979 - A vignette about the building of the schooner Bluenose II, an exact replica of the famous Bluenose I.

Breadmakers - 1980 - A vignette on the history of the Ropeleski family - three brothers who inherited the bakery shop from their father and run it in the traditional way. In their dealings with customers, some of whom they've known for over fifty years, they have learned to converse in four different languages.

Bridge for the Dempster - 1980 - A vignette on the building of a bridge for the Dempster Highway in northern Canada by our Canadian Armed Forces.

Bridging the Gap - 1981 - An animated allegory demonstrating the need to integrate the disabled into general society.

Calliope - 1980 - A vignette on the travelling calliope.

Canada's Snowbirds - 1980 - A vignette of the Canadian Snowbirds. A camera follows the Canadian Forces Air Demonstration Aerobatics team from the ground to the sky.

Captain Cook - 1978 - Two hundred years ago Captain Cook stopped briefly at Nootka Sound. This animated vignette depicts how he began the sea otter trade which led to the development of the Pacific north west.

December Lights - 1979 - Animated film of a traditional Franco-Manitoban Christmas tale.

Delta Plane - 1979 - This film is about the emotions that can lead one to take that jump into space necessary for hang gliding with a Delta Plane.

Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972 Pt. 1 - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB Production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring one of the principal performers, Charlie Chamberlain, who has since passed away.

Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972 Pt. 2 - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB Production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring one of the principal performers, Charlie Chamberlain, who has since passed away.

"Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Charlie Chamberlain 1911-1972, Marg Osburne 1927-1977" - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring the three principal performers, who have since passed away: Don Messer, Charlie Chamberlain, and Marg Osburne.

Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Don Messer 1910-1973 - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring one of the principal performers, Don Messer, who has since passed away.

Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Marg Osburne 1927-1977 Pt. 1 - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring one of the principal performers, Marg Osburne, who has since passed away.

Don Messer - His Land and His Music - Marg Osburne 1927-1977 Pt. 2 - 1979 - One of six Canada Vignettes from the NFB production Don Messer - His Land and His Music, featuring one of the principal performers, Marg Osburne, who has since passed away.

Emergency Numbers - 1984 - This is a hilarious ""cat and dog fight"" film that also reminds us to keep emergency numbers close to our telephones.

Erik Davidson - Mechanic - 1979 - A man who rebuilds and restores antique cars recounts how he was blinded in the Halifax harbor explosion.

Faces - 1978 - A vignette of animated images showing the variety of people who live in Canada.

Fashion Designer - 1977 - A young designer, Selma Bryant-Fournier, starts her career in a large clothing manufacturing firm in Montreal. She hopes to design clothes for mass production that are beautiful, functional and affordable by everyone.

Flin Flon - 1978 - A vignette on the curious origin of the name of Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Fort Prince of Wales - 1978 - A Canada Vignette giving a humorous animated version of the history of Fort Prince of Wales from its construction to its capture by the French.

From Cobalt to Casa Loma - 1978 - A vignette on the early days of mining in Cobalt, Ontario.

From Flax to Linen - 1978 - A short film on the process of turning flax to linen in the pioneer Canadian home.

Full Circle - 1979 - A portrait of Cyril Caunter that records his flight, at age eighty, aboard a restored Avro 504K, the plane in which he flew as a World War I pilot with the Royal Air Force. The film also records his present-day efforts in obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree at Glendon College, Toronto, and the friendship with Professor Daphne Schiff that led to his renewed interest in flying.

Headdress - 1979 - A marriage song of the Nootka Indians provides the accompaniment while the camera explores, in dramatic closeups, the wealth of carved, painted and inlaid detail in these beautiful examples of the high art of traditional northwest coast Indian headdresses.

Helen Law - 1979 - A portrait of Mrs. Helen Law, a Chinese immigrant to Canada, as witnessed through the eyes of her son, a first-generation Canadian.

History for Tomorrow - 1980 - A vignette on historic sites.

Holidays - 1978 - A montage of watercolor images of the work and occasional play of a farm family.

Home of the Beaver - 1978 - Archival and contemporary photographic material shows the symbolic use of beaver throughout Canadian history.

Homestead - 1980 - A vignette, from the film Great Grand Mother, on the homesteads lived on by our pioneer grandmothers.

Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary - 1978 - An animated vignette of a humorous Irish folktale told through original artwork using cartoon characters.

Ice - 1982 - Ice cutting on the St. Lawrence River in the 1860s is illustrated in song and animated graphics.

Ice Carnival Montreal 1885 - Souvenir Programme - 1986 - This vignette illustrates the giant skating parties held at the Victoria rink during the Ice Carnival in Montreal in 1885.

Ice Carnival Montreal 1885 - Storming the Ice Palace - 1986 - This vignette illustrates the storming of the Ice Palace by members of the Tuque Bleu Snow Shoe Club during the Montreal Ice Carnival of 1885.

Indian Pipe - 1979 - This carved ritual pipe from the Plains Indian culture depicts the act of creation, alive in stone, Mother Earth in the embrace of Father Sky. Integral to the all-important sacred ceremonies, this personal possession expresses in strong imagery the vigor and joy of life itself."Description courtesy of NFB

Instant French - 1979 - This film promotes, in the best K-Tel tradition, a new device used to speak French.

Inuit Pipe - 1979 - With the eye of the artist who crafted this exceptional Inuit artifact, the camera explores in close-up the exquisite detail of the daily hunt, fishing scenes, and children at play incised in black on ivory that has the warm patina of age. This pipe is an outstanding example of the traditional fine pieces - small, light, easily portable, and lavished with artistic detail.

June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic - 1980 - A vignette on ice fishing and throat singing in Povungnituk.

Klondike Gold - 1980 - This animated film illustrates the terrible journey, the back-breaking work, the exotic and gaudy city of Dawson, and the turmoil and triumphs of the 1898 Klondike gold rush.

Lady Frances Simpson - 1978 - An animated vignette on the journey of Lady Frances Simpson, with her piano, from England to Lower Fort Garry.

Land Bridge - 1978 - This film describes the journey of nomadic Asian people to North America via a land bridge.

Land of the Maple Leaf - 1978 - A film that uses archival and contemporary photographic material to show the symbolic use of the maple leaf throughout Canadian history.

Log Driver's Waltz - 1979 - A young girl who loves to dance and is ready to marry chooses a log driver over his more well-to-do, land-loving competition. Driving logs down the river has made him the best dancing partner to be found. This lighthearted, animated tale is based on the song The Log Driver's Waltz by Wade Hemsworth. Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing to the music of the Mountain City Four.

Logger - 1978 - An animated history of logging on the British Columbia coast.

Love on Wheels - 1979 - A love story between an English boy and a French girl that takes place at a roller skating rink.

Ma ChŠre Albertine - 1979 - A vignette using old postcards of Montreal from 1905-1910, all in beautiful hand-painted colors.

Marine Biologist - 1979 - A short film based on the work of Dr. Diana Magor, Canadian marine biologist associated with the National Institute of Amazonian Research.

Maritimes Dig - 1980 - A vignette, based on River Through Time, showing the archaeological dig in New Brunswick. It also explains how a site is researched before a dig.

McIntosh - 1979 - A vignette based on the story of John McIntosh, the Ontario developer of the McIntosh apple.

"Melvin Arbuckle, Famous Canadian" - 1980 - W.O. Mitchell recounts Newton's Law of Falling Backhouses, a story based on the youthful pranks of his prairie childhood.

"Men of the Deeps, Cape Breton" - 1978 - A vignette of coal mines in New Waterford and Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, featuring traditional Cape Breton folk songs sung by Men of the Deeps, a miners' choral group.

Metis Coat - 1979 - In 1841, the Earl of Caledon of Tyrone, Ireland, acquired an elegantly tailored deerskin coat trimmed with fringe and brightly dyed porcupine quill embroidery. This fashion, popularized by the Metis, adapts the style of the white ""Coatmen"" to traditional Indian materials.

Moccasins - 1979 - Close-ups of fine detail of the ancient skill of quillwork embroidery - brightly coloured geometric designs on high-ankled, Seneca-type moccasins. These moccasins are over one hundred years old, from the fabled Speyer Collection that was repatriated from Germany by the National Museum of Man in 1975.

Mussel Mud - 1985 - A vignette using animation and live action to depict mussel farmers digging in the mud through the ice on bays and estuaries in Prince Edward Island.

Newfoundland - 1978 - An animated film about the first landing in Newfoundland of a crew of Viking explorers.

Our Daily Bread - 1979 - A vignette showing the gristing, or milling, of wheat into flour at a pioneer grist mill. This is followed by the baking of homemade bread, with the flour, in a pioneer kitchen.

Physiotherapist - 1977 - How a young woman physiotherapist spends much time, and a great deal of patience and care, helping a physically disabled child to learn simple actions like walking and dressing himself.

Port Royal - 1978 - This is the story of the first French settlers in North America, who spent their first winter on an island in the Bay of Fundy. Despite overwhelming hardships the survivors, joined by other new colonists, eventually established Port Royal, the foundation of Acadia and the Acadian people.

Prairie Promise - 1980 - A vignette of a pioneer woman's first impression of the prairie and of the different and new way of life she would encounter.

"Prehistoric Artifacts, New Brunswick" - 1980 - A vignette, based on River Through Time, that shows some of the artifacts unearthed during two years of work along the Tracadie River in New Brunswick.

Riverdale Lion - 1979 - An interpretation of the poem Riverdale Lion by John Robert Colombo.

Skier - 1978 - This vignette about skiier Kathy Kreiner leads up to and includes her Olympic Gold medal race at Innsbruck.

Sodbusters - 1978 - An animated story about the hardships of early farm life on the prairies.

Spence's Republic - 1978 - An animated vignette about the role of Thomas Spence in the formation and demise of the Republic of Manitoba at Portage la Prairie in 1867-68.

St. Laurent Pilgrimage - 1985 - Prior to the Northwest Rebellion and continuing to the present day, members of the Metis Catholic community were among the faithful who made an annual pilgrimage to the village of St. Laurent in the Duck Lake area of Saskatchewan, the spiritual center of the Metis nation at the time of the Rebellion.

Stunt Family - 1978 - A brief profile of a unique French-Canadian family, the Fourniers, twelve of whom work as stunt men and women for films.

The Ballet Master - 1978 - A ballet school established by a recently emigrated Russian ballet master teaches young Canadians classical and folk dancing.

The Blacksmith Shop - 1979 - A vignette on the pioneer crafts of the village blacksmith.

The Dentist - 1978 - A Japanese-Canadian who practices dentistry in Montreal recalls his childhood in a prison camp in British Columbia.

The Egg - 1979 - This animated story shows that societies in evolution are often in danger of self-destruction.

The Ham - 1978 - Allan Laird, operating out of Legion Village, near Toronto, teaches 17- to 77-year-olds how to become ham radio operators.

The Horse - 1978 - This illustrates a time in North American history when the horse provided man with unprecedented mobility and how the arrival of the iron horse brought an end to this era.

The Maple Leaf - 1978 - The maple leaf of the flag turns into two profiles that illustrate the many relationships between people.

The Music Makers - 1979 - A vignette featuring a variety of people in the Canadian music world.

The Move - 1985 - After nearly a half-century of use, a Saskatchewan grain elevator is moved across the snow-covered prairie to a new home. The film follows the lifting and transporting of the nine-storey, 200-ton structure, and examines the feelings of the people as they witness the final passing of their town's one and only grain elevator.

The Visitor - 1979 - The medieval Norse claimed in their sagas to have reached Vinland. Could this extremely significant archaeological find substantiate the Norse claim? Far to the north, on Baffin Island, a tiny carved wooden figure is discovered. The figure is clothed in a long, pleated and hooded robe, and, incised on the chest of this small mysterious artifact is a Christian cross.

The Vote - 1980 - A one-minute vignette showing the beginnings of the women's suffrage movement in Canada, culminating with women receiving the vote.

The Wool Spinner - 1979 - A vignette illustrating the procedure used in pioneer days to spin sheep's wool into skeins for knitting clothing.

Toronto - 1978 - An animated film depicting the evolution of the City of Toronto from 1749 to 1978.

Trading Post - 1978 - An animated film about the Hudson's Bay trading post, and the relationship between fur traders and Indians.

Trees - 1978 - Life in Canada is reflected by people's comments on trees as a tree is shown undergoing seasonal changes.

Two Friends - 1979 - Two Polish friends eat a meal together and discuss the influence that the Poles have had on Canadian culture and the effect that Canada has had on their culture.

Under the Pole - 1980 - A vignette showing Dr. Joe MacInnis and his diving team placing a Canadian flag at the North Pole.

Veterinarian - 1977 - A Quebec veterinarian makes his regular yearly visit to the farm of a young couple, where he treats one of their colts for worms. The vet loves his work, and the horse goes along with the treatment without too much fuss.

Vignettes from Labrador North - 1979 - A vignette on the history of the Inuit of Labrador and the role of Moravian missionaries.

Voyageurs - 1978 - An animated film about the hardships of voyageurs' lives in the early Canadian fur trade.

Wild Rice Harvest Kenora - 1979 - A vignette showing the harvesting of wild rice by the Ojibway people in Kenora, Ontario.

Winter - Dressing Up - 1979 - A man gets out of bed and puts on many layers of clothes, ready to face the Canadian winter. However, getting through the doorway poses a problem! A film without words.

Winter - Starting the Car - 1979 - Starting the car in winter is easier said than done! A film without words.

Woolly Mammoth - 1979 - An animated film showing a woolly mammoth and its offspring. These animals lived on the Canadian tundra over ten thousand years ago.

Wop May - 1979 - A film on Wop May, one of Canada's leading bush pilots in the 1920s.